Multiband multistatic synthetic aperture radar for measuring ice sheet basal conditions

Ice sheet models are necessary, to understand ice sheet dynamics and to predict their behavior. Of the primary inputs to these models, basal conditions are the least understood. By observing the forward and backscatter across a wide frequency range (over two octaves) the basal conditions can be established with a high level of confidence. For this purpose, we developed a multistatic synthetic aperture radar system that operates on three frequency hands (75-85 MHz, 140-160 MHz, and 330-370 MHz,). The radar system is designed to use pulse compression techniques and coherent integration to obtain high loop sensitivity (203 dB) necessary to overcome radio frequency losses in ice. The system will be tested at Summit, Greenland (72degrees34' N, 38degrees29' W) during July 2004.